Life in the Slow Lane
Enter a word or words to search the posts
|
|
Enter a word or words to search the posts
|
|
After golfing yesterday morning with Rod, Ted and M and losing a pitcher of beer to Rod I picked long lost high school buddy Twink and went out to not so lost high school buddy Buck for his annual wild game feed.
Saw some classmates, some softball teammates and various other friends there. Typical of when buddies get together there was a lot of old tales told and few that were actually accurate. Buck's menu included fried catfish - good, fried bass - ok, bbq'd coon - good, fried turtle - chewy or fried deer - ok. Bucks wife Debbie made rabbit and dumplings which were great. I didn't try the fried rabbit or fried dove this year nor did I have any fried chicken, hot dogs or sides. Someone also brought mostaccioli and alfredo but I didn't have any of that either. All of which brings us to the different dish of the day, bbq'd beaver (insert joke here). It was actually good and I probably liked it better than the bbq'd raccoon. I'm sure I forgot some dishes, there was sooo much food. I don't think Twink was quite as diverse in his food selection but he seemed to have a really good time. Good food + beer + friends you don't see often enough = great time.
0 Comments
On a day that started out looking very dreary but ended up a beautiful Saturday MBC hosted it's 2017 spring tournament. The Glue fixed some very tasty smoked sausage for the teams and Garrett from I'll Have Another fried some fish.
In Roll'ems first game we faced The Clark without longtime buddy Everrett (orange hands). We got off to about as bad a start as could happen and found ourselves in a 6-0 hole before we could get going. We started chipping away at the lead and gradually worked our way to a 7-6 lead. Then the Herbster and myself couldn't get anything close and let the game slip away 9-7 which put us in a big hole. In the second game we faced Wednesday night regular champion Holy Ballz Batman and ex- super sub Fred. The game started out close but we gradually built a lead up to 8-4. With the pallino close to the back wall and the Holys pretty close in we decided to try and push one of their balls into two of ours that were sitting on the wall. We couldn't have drawn it up any better as one of our wall balls got push close to the pallino and we won 9-4. Everyone in our pool was 1-1 so both our game against Every Bocce Wang Chung and Clarks-Holy Ballz were win and be in games. We only thought that our start in the first game was as bad as it could be as in the first frame we knocked ourselves out of a point and the Wangs into four. In the next frame we couldn't get anything very close and they got another three for a 7-0 lead. We finally got on the board with a single point and they put a ball very close to the pallino. On our final throw we had one right on line until the last few inches when in moved slightly to the left but made it very had for them to get another point. Very hard but not impossible as the Wangs made a great throw and just inched us out and they got a 9-1 win and we were out of the tournament. Slow starts have been our problem all season and yesterday was no exception. We've got to fix that as move to Summer season. Wednesday night made a great showing on Saturday as Holy Ballz, Biotches, Squatchy Bocce and Here For the Beer all getting into the final single elimination tournament with the first three advancing to the semi finals and Holy Ballz and Biotches playing for the championship. Holy Ballz did on of our numbers and got off to a slow start and lost 9-0 so Biotches were the spring champs. Congratulations to Andrea and her crew. Wednesday's spring 2017 season came to an end last night with our interpool tournament. With all the bad weather we've endured it was a warm but very windy night.
In the first game we faced long time arch rivals Squatchy Bocce who had already won a game against Feeder of the Pack. As has been our norm we started out slow with the Squatches jumping out to a 5-0 lead before we could get on the board. We then got on a roll of our own and pulled to a 5-4 deficit then disaster struck. With the ball just off the far wall and Herbster having the point they managed to get inside him without hitting the wall. My next throw was right on line but rolled a hair too far and then the next one hit the wall too. They capitalized with a three point frame and a 8-4 lead. On the next throw they had one fairly close and we were unable to get inside and Squatchy moved on to the next round while we were done. The Squatches then got on a roll as they advanced through Holy Ballz and into the championship against Biotches in what ended up being the game of the night if not the season. Squatchy got off to a slow start and fell behind only to start to rally. The Biotches had several good chances to win but couldn't capitalize and the score got closer and closer until it was 8-8. Squatchy lead off with a good solid throw but something that probably wouldn't hold up. After Biotches first two throw an attempt at a hit was wide and then on their last throw it rolled past and the Squaches were the champs. Squachy team member Tammy may be a little sore with her high stepping dance after the game was decided. Wish I had a video of it. Congratulations to Squachy on their wins. The Glue and I joined forces with Bob and Trish from Boro City/Riverside Rollers to play in the tournament as Big Dogs and Bitches. The name was the brainchild of The Glue who can always be counted on to come up with a good one.
In the first game we played Mid-Illinois Bank which was a new team with only limited experience. One of the player is the daughter of Tammy from our arch rival Squachy Bocce and has filled in occasionally with them. Two other of the players were daughters of a couple golfing buddies. For a basically new team they threw exceptionally well and we barely won 9-8. In the second game we play another new team, Here For the Beer which is not the same team that plays on Wednesday's. We got out fast and cruised to a 9-2 win. The third game was the game of the day for us as we faced Holy Ballz and ex-supersub Fred. We jumped out to a 7-3 lead but then we made a crucial error. They had a ball fairly close but we had one that would have made it hard for them to get more than another point we hit our close ball and opened it for a four point frame and a 7-7 tie. We had a ball close and one in hand when Pete hit the close one but we still got a point. They got the next point and we were in a next point wins situation. Trish made them use all four of their balls to get inside her and I had two throws for the win. Both felt good but neither could get inside them and they won 9-8. In the fourth game we played then Bankers again on the new court which was very slow and rough. We adjusted pretty quick and survived a late rally to win 9-4. In the fifth game we played the Wops which is always a good time. We adjusted well going back to one of the old courts and rolled to a 9-1 win which really quieted the Wops captain in a hurry. In the sixth game it was Holy Ballz again. We ran out of steam and rolled our worse game of the day losing 9-0 to finish third. Holy Ballz moved into the championship and beat Big Muddy Monsters twice to win the tournament but the highlight of the tournament was a visit by the grandtwins. Golf scramble on Friday, bocce tournament on Saturday and another round of golf today makes for a great weekend. Happy Mothers Day to my wife The Glue, my daughter-in-law Angie and especially to my daughter and new mother Bailey. For one of the few times this season the Wednesday night league had a beautiful night to play on instead of the rainy, windy and cold weather we've had most of the other times.
In our first game we took on Here For the Beer on the new court. While the court was faster than it had been it was still very unpredictable on what path the ball would take. Needless to say we got out to our customary slow start as the the Beers got out to a 3-0 lead. We followed that up with one point, two point and four point frames sandwiched around a one pointer by the Beers to make it 6-4. They followed with a two pointer to tie the score and sadly the Roll'em guys couldn't get inside their first throw and they capitalized with a three banger to get the win. In the next game we were on the new court again, this time facing Kiwanis. While we were most likely inside the cut line for the league tournament we really needed another win to ensure it. With a better feel for the court than Kiwanis we jumped on them early and often. The Glue was making really good throws and causing Kiwanis use multiple balls while on the other end the Clinkster was on fire and carrying the the guys side. With those two making great throws and Clutch chiming in we won running away 9-2. In what has seemed like a struggle and a down season we end the Spring league with a 10-6 record which will probably end up third of fourth on Wednesday's. Not bad but it seems like we let a lot of opportunities pass us by. Next week is the interpool tournament followed on the league tournament on the weekend. It's been a big weekend for the Grandtwins. Friday was their first restaurant visit and then after a very fussy visit with Granmama and Granpapa they went to their very first prom. Brinley was Shad's date and Greyson was Little Precious's date. Going to an event with a family member seems to run in The Glue's family as ex-super sub Fred set the precedent as he took his sister Jean to her class reunion several years back.
Greyson was decked out in a tux, bow tie, flower on his "lapel" and black Chuck Taylors. Brinley was wearing her very best black dress set off with a wrist flower, pink bow, headband bow and pink Chuck's. They looked awesome. Last night in place of the planned tacos for Cinco de Mayo we decided to take Little Precious, Shad, Brinley and Greyson to Gabby's for supper. It was the twins first experience at eating out and we figured Gabby's would be a good place to take them. It was crowded when we got there with only small tables available so we set in the overflow/private room which worked out great. We had the are to ourselves with plenty of room to spread out. When we got there it was feeding time for the babies then they sat/slept in their car seats most of the time we were there. Overall the twins really exceeded expectations and were really good while we were there.
The service was slow probably partly to forgetting we were sitting in the extra room. Once the food arrived it was good as usual. I had the open face beef, mashed potatoes and cucumbers and onions. A different choice from my usual choices but ended up being a good one. I'm sure daughter Bailey will love the following picture. On yet another cold rainy Wednesday the Roll'em team had a couple of big games against the teams who were just below us in the standings. Mother Nature hasn't been real kind to Wednesday night teams, it seems like we've only had 1 or 2 nice nights and the rest has been cold and rainy and we don't need anymore rain for awhile.
In the first game we took on the girls from Boccilism. They jumped out to an early 2-0 lead and then it was back and forth. The 'lims seemed to make a lot of clutch throws and it didn't help when I knocked us out of a point. We finally pulled ahead 7-5 before me and the Herbster gave up a two point frame the them and a 7-7 tie. With all our balls a little long and Boccilism having a point and two throws left the Herbster made the call of the game. He said they were going to push the pallino into two points for us and sure enough on the next throw they pushed the pallino into two points for us. Luckily for us their next throw was off line and we walked away with a very improbable win. The second game against the Biotches was an example of how not to start a game. After they started out to a 2-0 lead we (meaning me) managed to knock them out of a point with my first ball and then knock us out of the point with my second. In the next frame with us having having a point we managed to push the pallino away and give them two points. What should have been a 4-3 deficit or maybe even 4-4 turned into a 7-0 game. We then scored on the next throw which saved us the embarrassment of being shut out since they proceeded to get two points and a 9-1 score. On a night when The Glue, Clutch, Herbster and Dusty all struggled we were very lucky to salvage a split of the two games. We need to play much better next week to ensure that we will make the league tournament. Good news is that the expected crest of the Big Muddy has been lowered a foot to 38.8' instead of 40'. The crest is expected to be tonight and hopefully the waters will begin to recede. We got enough rain over the weekend to last us for a few weeks and now there's rain chances Wednesday and Thursday. Go away, we don't want any more for a little while. The Kinkaid spillway looks like Niagra Falls and the Big Muddy is supposed to crest at 40' just short of the 2011 record of 40.5'.
The lighting, thunder and wind over the weekend really scared Otis so we had a couple rough nights. Also Brinley and Greyson had a couple of bad nights so The Glue spent a night there to help out. All in all not a very good weekend to say the least. We took a little drive yesterday to check out the rivers and also eat at the Chinchbug for the first time. We split a double cheeseburger, fries and some wings. Wings were ok but the burger was real good. When we got there it was somewhat crowded for a Monday. We found out that it was workers who were closing the levy on route 3 a day early since the river was rising much faster than expected. Oh well, guess I'd better get the grass mowed today. |
Archives
October 2024
|